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View Full Version : motivational: what held you back from mermaiding and what gave you courage to do it?



Mermaid Momo
03-01-2012, 05:50 PM
i know that when you start mermaiding there are things that get in your way, things that you believe you'll never get past,but eventually you do. this is a motivations thread where mers can come and read stories about other mers tackling their problems that kept them from acheiving their dream of mermaiding. here's mine

my skin color
when if first decided that i wanted to mermaid and anyone knew that i was really interested in mermaids despite my young age, people would tell me: but your black (like i didnt know already. but thanx anyway) they would always say it with this pitying look on their face and i always believed them that because i was black, and there arent any black mermaids in paintings, movies ,or shows that i couldnt mermaid. but then my penpal in japan sent me an email (in japan of all places where dark skin is considered ugly compared to light skin) telling me how she beleived that i should go forward with it to show everyone and myself that people with darker skin tones can be mermaids and she sent me this picture:

1912
it was really motivating and to top it all off, my mom finally decided that she'll let me swim in a tail as long as someone's watching me.(my dad was all game, heck! he was my source for everything mer!)

Mermaid Saphira
03-01-2012, 05:56 PM
^ That is so beautiful!

My story:
I have struggled with my height and weight for years. I felt that I couldn't be a mermaid because I wasn't 6ft and thin like a model, I didn't have lenghty blonde hair or sparkling blue eyes. I just wasn't the picture perfect mermaid everyone expected. But no one is perfect, right? I began reading and watching videos about other mermaids who lost weight swimming in their tails, LittleOrca inspired me the most <3 <3 <3 Hence I began my mermaiding journey :D

Princess Kae-Leah
03-01-2012, 06:38 PM
For me, the fact that I'm a mermaid who cannot swim at all due to health problems really made me doubt whether anyone would take me seriously as a mermaid, since most mers are excellent swimmers and merfolk are associated with swimming for obvious reasons. In spite of my insecurities about my lack of swimming ability, I was voted Mermaid Minerals' Mermaid of the Month for February, was selected by Tonya Steele to be The Vintage Mermaid's Mermaid Star of the Month for March, and my public mer-page on Facebook has gotten well over 200 likes! Not too shabby for a "terramaid", huh? ;) If you just be yourself, people will often like you for who you are and be willing to accept what sets you apart from the stereotypical image of a mermaid, whether it's your lack of swimming ability, the color of your skin, your weight, whatever.

Mermaid Saphira
03-01-2012, 06:41 PM
^ Well said! We are all very proud of you KL ;)

Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!
03-01-2012, 07:30 PM
i know that when you start mermaiding there are things that get in your way, things that you believe you'll never get past,but eventually you do. this is a motivations thread where mers can come and read stories about other mers tackling their problems that kept them from acheiving their dream of mermaiding. here's mine

my skin color
when if first decided that i wanted to mermaid and anyone knew that i was really interested in mermaids despite my young age, people would tell me: but your black (like i didnt know already. but thanx anyway) they would always say it with this pitying look on their face and i always believed them that because i was black, and there arent any black mermaids in paintings, movies ,or shows that i couldnt mermaid. but then my penpal in japan sent me an email (in japan of all places where dark skin is considered ugly compared to light skin) telling me how she beleived that i should go forward with it to show everyone and myself that people with darker skin tones can be mermaids and she sent me this picture:

1912
it was really motivating and to top it all off, my mom finally decided that she'll let me swim in a tail as long as someone's watching me.(my dad was all game, heck! he was my source for everything mer!)


Daggerprez, are you currently familiar with the myths of La Sirčne, the voodoo loa (god/goddess/spirit) of the waters? She is also sometimes referred to as Mami Wata, and is often depicted as a beautiful African/Haitian/etc mermaid.

My story largely involves me overcoming my own worries... as a kid, I was friendly, imaginative, playful, affectionate, and socially fearless, but as years of school wore away at me, I hid in the shadows. It wasn't until I started coming into my own in college and began coming out of the closet with my sexuality that I found myself again, and began dressing in costumes in public (particularly for conventions or around Halloween), kissing people on the cheeks as a greeting, indulging my imagination and trying to turn it into something creative, and going out of my way to be friendly to others, particularly those who looked lonely and in need of someone to talk to them. I'm still working on the "socially fearless" part, though.

MermaidAubrin
03-01-2012, 07:49 PM
Great story!

For me it was the support from my mom, at first she just said it was something I would be over in a couple weeks. Also the actual tail making bit bit, I didn't think I could do it. So I just proved her wrong and myself wrong :D

Mermaid Momo
03-01-2012, 07:56 PM
oh! im going to look it up now!♥
and my friends( who are all either gay,bi, and one genderfluint) are always telling me how they wish that they were more socially fearless than they are now. They compare themselves to the way i can strut into school in any get up and break out singing and dancing in the middle of the hallways or a giant crowd and care less about what people are thinking or saying about it. but i just tell them its the way you carry yourself. basically to become socially fearless you just have to throw all your whats out the window. XD the more comfortable you become in your skin around the people you do and dont know, and you break out of the crowd which wouldn't usually talk to an "outsider" sitting alone.and you've already mastered that so to me, you are socially fearless.

Mermaid Momo
03-01-2012, 07:59 PM
@mermaidAubrin:my mom thought the same thing but then i rode out into months and finally years and she's like fine do it.XD

MermaidAubrin
03-01-2012, 08:00 PM
@mermaidAubrin:my mom thought the same thing but then i rode out into months and finally years and she's like fine do it.XD

Haha nice!
Now I am the family mermaid :P

AniaR
03-01-2012, 08:25 PM
Aww this is really moving stuff, what a great thread idea!

For me, what held me back first was illness. I was misdiagnosed with MS and with a combination of other illnesses I was actually under the (false) impression I was going to die! Worst few months of my life. I was in a lot of pain and sick in bed frequently. I would watch videos of Hannah and cry because I never thought I'd be as graceful as she is or have the chance to live that dream.

One day I just stopped feeling sorry for myself and decided I was going to make it happen. I had been encouraged to go to physiotherapy but I had originally thought, what's the point? Well, I wanted to swim in a darned mermaid tail before I died, so that was the point. I started going! I got my first fabric tail and was still so weak I wore a LIFE JACKET LMAO into the lake with it on in case I sunk lol. I took it off within minutes- but there were still some hilarious photos taken. The fabric tail wasnt easy to swim in- two swim fins dont work like a monofin. I was basically just using all my arm strength and carrying my legs floating behind me.

I eventually did find out I was misdiagnosed with something still very serious but not quite as horrible or fatal as MS. Phew! It really put things in perspective for me and I think gave me the push I needed to do what I needed to.

When I got my first realistic tail I could barley swim in it because of the issues. That put me back a bit, but the community really supported me and I had someone fix it! I think I've had a lot of ups and downs with give it up, or push it harder. But the thing that really blew my mind was when I started fundraising for the tail I have now. I was donated 1000$ by one woman as well as many other increments of money from other people in a matter of days. I actually wrote the woman who donated so much thinking it might have been a mistake! But she wrote me such a beautiful letter- she believed in me and what I want to do, more than I did myself. I just cried and cried I was so happy but also so touched. :)

There's people like Lexi who introduced me to the community, Raven who fixed my old tail made my new one and is generally awesome, Carolyn who gave me my first interview, the news reporters who even though it's been since last summer keep in touch... those people make it worth it every day no matter what. Especially kids too :) I get down like everyone else, get stuck in the "this is one expensive hobby" frame of mind, but things just always seems to pick up or work out exactly when I need them to. I am thankful every day for the community, and for the people who have helped me along the way. I will never forget them.

Mermaid Saphira
03-01-2012, 08:33 PM
^ *sniff* So beautiful, so touching! We <3 you to Raina!

Prince Calypso
03-01-2012, 09:31 PM
i know that when you start mermaiding there are things that get in your way, things that you believe you'll never get past,but eventually you do. this is a motivations thread where mers can come and read stories about other mers tackling their problems that kept them from acheiving their dream of mermaiding. here's mine

my skin color
when if first decided that i wanted to mermaid and anyone knew that i was really interested in mermaids despite my young age, people would tell me: but your black (like i didnt know already. but thanx anyway) they would always say it with this pitying look on their face and i always believed them that because i was black, and there arent any black mermaids in paintings, movies ,or shows that i couldnt mermaid. but then my penpal in japan sent me an email (in japan of all places where dark skin is considered ugly compared to light skin) telling me how she beleived that i should go forward with it to show everyone and myself that people with darker skin tones can be mermaids and she sent me this picture:

1912
it was really motivating and to top it all off, my mom finally decided that she'll let me swim in a tail as long as someone's watching me.(my dad was all game, heck! he was my source for everything mer!)

not many people know this but the mermaid myth actually originated in Africa, Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean, when the Greeks traded with these people they brought back stories of the beautiful fish woman and water wives.

Prince Calypso
03-01-2012, 09:33 PM
for me it was my gender. i felt that i wasn't really a man and thus didn't like being called a mermaid and i felt for the longest time that i might be a bit too Gay for the mermaiding community. but after joining meryuku, and The MerNetwork i felt really welcomed and was never judged or questioned about it even once.

Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!
03-01-2012, 10:58 PM
not many people know this but the mermaid myth actually originated in Africa, Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean, when the Greeks traded with these people they brought back stories of the beautiful fish woman and water wives.

That's not entirely true. The earliest known mermaid was Atagatis, from a myth around 1000 B.C. in Assyria. I seem to recall reading that humans originated in Africa, and spread to Mesopotamia for the earliest known civilizations, though, so technically merfolk, like dragons, unicorns, fairies, giants, and ghosts, originated alongside humanity and are native to every culture and background.

Prince Calypso
03-01-2012, 11:46 PM
That's not entirely true. The earliest known mermaid was Atagatis, from a myth around 1000 B.C. in Assyria. I seem to recall reading that humans originated in Africa, and spread to Mesopotamia for the earliest known civilizations, though, so technically merfolk, like dragons, unicorns, fairies, giants, and ghosts, originated alongside humanity and are native to every culture and background.

not that I've ever been one to defend my own culture, as a matter of fact there are days i wish i wasn't black but what i said is accurate, yes many cultures have had myths of sea people and those who live under the waves and yes the Assyria myth is one of the oldest mermaid origin stories out there. but the conman concept of the mermaid is strictly African/ Greek

Blondie
03-02-2012, 01:18 AM
I used to mermaid a lot four years ago when I was in middle school. I don't remember how I stumbled across it, but I fell into Freshwater Mermaid's youtube channel when I was 13 and was so fascinated by the idea. I used to be the quirky kid who ran around pretending she had super powers. I sent her a message on youtube but I doubted that she would ever reply since her videos had so many views and so many people were asking her the same questions that I was. In a day she had written me back a letter that made me smile so wide. She told me everything I needed to know about making a fabric tail and was super kind about sharing her secrets.

I quickly made a fabric tail that week but my mom wasn't too happy about me buying fabric and bi-fins. The tail fell apart faster then it did for me to make it. I made another one with spandex and it was fantastic! I never made a fluke for it, but I really didn't care, I duct taped my fins together and used that. My mom was very upset that I spent $25 on spandex for a costume. (Which is funny when now I plan on making a $400 tail) It just wasn't socially acceptable. I hated seeing her made at me for that so I stopped swimming. I eventually found out that someone threw away both my tails before we moved. Ever since then I never had anymore motivation to make another...

Now four years later, I found the Mernetwork. I couldn't believe how much mermaiding had spread since I was little. It made me so giddy to read through all the posts and meet all the members. I just couldn't believe such thing existed... Now I'm inspired to make a new tail. (It's all I've been drawing in my notebooks in class :P) Hopefully this summer will bring me my much needed money and new support form my family.

Dx I think I went off topic here but... I know I'm new here but you guys really have made such a difference in my already. I'm becoming more addicted to the Mernetwork then Facebook. I really thank you all for just being awesome and perusing your dreams. You all have inspired me.

I feel like this is Chicken Noodle Soup for the Mermaid's Soul...

Mermaasai
03-02-2012, 02:19 PM
I really dig this thread and admire all the hardships you guys went through to get where you are today.

I dont really have a story- I mean... I daydreamed about mermaiding but I had no idea it was a possibility until recently..
When I DID come across a youtube vid of some one mermaiding (raina I think it might have been yours actually!)- I simply fell in love and had to be a part of it..

I was hit by a car on my motorcycle two years ago, T-boned perfectly into my bike by a girl on a cell phone. It shattered my foot and totalled my bike..
Motorcycling was the love of my life and achieving that was a massive struggle as a tiny, only female child (4 older bros) in my family. The bike cost me everything I had and losing it crushed me.
I remember laying in bed with my foot up crying for weeks.
I still walk with a small limp and dont go a day with out pain, and I get teary some times when a bike goes by.
I did get back in the saddle, I rode again on a friends bike for a while but... its just not the same when its not your own.
My family made me promise not to ride for a while so biking is out of the question for now.

When i found mermaiding... I cant describe how excited I became.
Finding a hobby that fills me with as much joy as motorcycling did was something I though completely unattainable, but here I am.
Since making my tail I swim for hours, research, dabble, and just revel in the pure ecstasy of enjoying something this strongly again.

I will get another bike some day... (and be riding to the beach with a tail strapped to my back )

I guess it is a little bit of a story but... I like ya'lls better :D

Gem Stone
03-02-2012, 07:44 PM
I hate to be the one without any problems (Cause it always annoyed me at school when I had to work for something and someone just walks by and goes 'my daddy did this and I can do that now' or something like that) but I had full support from my family and my grandmother even helped make my tails. The only thing that possibly held me back was my insecurity over my stomache. Even after doing P90X I was still covering up my tummy. It bothers me for some reason

Mermaid Jewel
03-02-2012, 09:45 PM
The main thing that held me back was my fear of public opinion and my parents' opinion in general. What pushed me to go for it was partly MerYuku (Ah, the old meryuku ^.^) and some friends I had that supported me. Eventually, I bought a monofin by itself with my own money, not telling a specific reason just buying it, and that kinda led into asking for help to make a mertail. Thankfully, my mom had just amused acceptance and my dad couldn't care less lol. I was also motivated more with two of my best friends' approval, and super excitement, and one time, at a pool party, when one of those friends asked me to take out the tail and I did so and everyone was just fascinated and not at all like "What is that...?" like I thought they would. The more mainstream mermaiding goes, the more eager I am to pursue it. Now I'm ready to create my dream realistic tail and really put it out there, for everyone to see. I know I'll get some haters, but I think the ones who are fascinated and love it are the opinions that should matter more to me anyways.

Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!
03-05-2012, 01:51 PM
I do wonder if mermaiding/mermaning will someday catch on the same way Polar Bear clubs have, Mermaid Jewel.

babsannee
03-05-2012, 05:31 PM
I know I'm still the newbie, but you all have honestly helped me so much. I have an anxiety disorder that makes doing things that make me nervous especially difficult. It's a fight everyday. But ever since I was little girl, the under sea world has fascinated me. The idea of mermaids has lingered in my head for years. Are they real? Where do they come from? And if they are real, what can they teach us? I'm still a closet-mer, though I've told a few friends, and my parents actually got me my tail. I think my dad was just as excited to open the box as I was! But I'm scared to put up photos on Facebook, and my brother is ashamed. He thinks it's a hold over from "The Little Mermaid" when I was six. And sometimes I believe him. But then I got on MerNetwork, and realized I'm not the only one. This is real! Mermaiding is something that many people love, and those people aren't living in padded cells. They live, and go to school and work just like me. And that has been a major confidence boost, to know that I can be who I want to, without feeling like an outcast. There is a very poignant line from the musical La Cage Aux Folles that goes:

"I am what I am, and what I am, needs no excuses... Your life is a sham, till you can shout out-loud, I am what I am!"

And that is something I've taken to heart. :)

(EDIT: Here's the link to the song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lupNzpcpDRk)

Sea Pearl
03-11-2012, 01:24 AM
Some of your stories have been so inspiring to me! Thank you so much for sharing them!!

Babsie, follow your dream and if that is becoming a real life mermaid never give up on it! There are plenty of people here who feel exactly the same and I myself was so pleased to find this forum and a community of great people who take mermaiding seriously and are there to talk about it when you need it. I have only told a handful of people of my mermaid dream, the number one person being my mum, and she has supported me all the way. She's been fantastic!! And I have yet to go out to a public pool in my first mermaid tail and I do tend to get very nervous and worried how people will react. I tend to worry a lot...more than I probably should! Usually I feel more confident and at ease when I am with others and wish I could find someone to come with me. But I don't want my fear of what others think to stop me from achieving something I really want to do.

Mermaid Miel
03-11-2012, 10:41 AM
Money

The first time I stumbled across mermaiding was when I found an AquaTails Mermaid Tail on Ebay (for $200!) I soo badly wanted to buy two... one for me and one for my lil cousin who was going through a "the Little Mermaid 2" Phase. But $350US for adult & toddler-sized tails Before shipping from America?... forgetaboutit. (this was when the Aussie Dollar was always below the US too.)
I valiantly held my ground and did not buy despite Really wanting to.

It was over a year later (perhaps closer to two) that I finally stumbled across mermaiding on Youtube and found a How-To vid for making fabric tails. I was stoked! I searched for and ordered the cheapest monofin online that I could find... then paid twice it's price on priority shipping so I could have it in 3days. :p I practised swimming in it for a month with it before finally finishing my first tail. (blue)
When I wasn't in the local pool, or planning/making my tail. I was on Youtube, watching Hannah Fraser and any other mermaid vids and then on MerNetwork. I have found a lovely supportive community here, very welcoming with lots of advice and how-tos.

Amethyst
03-15-2012, 02:58 PM
That picture is beautiful @ draggersprez (http://mernetwork.com/index/member.php?27-draggersprez) :)
I've always been a larger lady :D I'm 5'7 and at my heaviest, I was 17stone 9 :S I loved swimming and never gave that up but I didn't feel like I could make myself a tail and go off and about with it, as I thought I'd look silly and be too big to be a mermaid :S Although I'm still trying to achieve my dream of owning a monofin and making myself a tail, I have actually lost nearly 4 stone!! So when I do, I'm going to be alot more healthier and more confident, which means I'll be an even happier mermaid! :D

Mermaid Lilium
04-24-2013, 09:15 PM
There is a very poignant line from the musical La Cage Aux Folles that goes:

"I am what I am, and what I am, needs no excuses... Your life is a sham, till you can shout out-loud, I am what I am!"

And that is something I've taken to heart. :)

(EDIT: Here's the link to the song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lupNzpcpDRk)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW-AxyBQ1kA (John Barrowman [from torchwood+drwho] + Sequins + overzealous booty shaking = full of win)


That picture is beautiful @ draggersprez (http://mernetwork.com/index/member.php?27-draggersprez) :)
I've always been a larger lady :D I'm 5'7 and at my heaviest, I was 17stone 9 :S I loved swimming and never gave that up but I didn't feel like I could make myself a tail and go off and about with it, as I thought I'd look silly and be too big to be a mermaid :S Although I'm still trying to achieve my dream of owning a monofin and making myself a tail, I have actually lost nearly 4 stone!! So when I do, I'm going to be alot more healthier and more confident, which means I'll be an even happier mermaid! :D

I'm 5'5 and currently 16st. I'm waiting for my monofin to ship. =) If I can do this, so can you ;) Can't wait to use it, I know that training with it and a bit of time in the gym and the weight will start falling off :D I'm just taking the same approach to my mer designs as I would to dressing myself day to day - making sure that it's cut to flatter and using a few clever tricks to keep the wobbles at bay =)

really well done on the weight loss, hopefully I can catch you up at some point :D

SeaGlass Siren
04-24-2013, 09:31 PM
well.. one: i thought i grew out of it.

two: i just didnt think about it and just went with it. i got tired about worrying about what everyone else says.

Carolina Mermaid
04-24-2013, 10:06 PM
When I was nine I stumbled across a video on YouTube and was shocked and awed by what I saw. A blonde woman swimming in the open ocean, wearing a blue mermaid tail. I've never gotten that image out of my head, ever since I have daydreamed about swimming along side her and seeing the oceans mysteries, with a tail of my own.

But when I had gotten in my second middle school, my confidence was completely shattered and I still severely fear being in front of people. Then one day free I came home sobbing and wanted to just bury myself in my bed and never come out, but then I remembered that video and started to watch it over and over again.

I kept thinking to myself "if she could do that, why can't I?" So about a year from then I had saved up enough money to get my very first tail (which is the blue magictail I'm wearing in my avatar), but my mother and the rest of my family were not so enthusiastic about it. After months of telling my mom that becoming a mermaid would help me with my self-confidence, she finally bent and allowed me to get the tail.

And now two years after, I'm making my very first tail and my whole family is behind me with it, except my older sister who still thinks its a waste of time. Especially when I'm getting my little cousin into it.

spottedcatfish
04-24-2013, 11:05 PM
IBut then I got on MerNetwork, and realized I'm not the only one. This is real! Mermaiding is something that many people love, and those people aren't living in padded cells. They live, and go to school and work just like me. And that has been a major confidence boost, to know that I can be who I want to, without feeling like an outcast. There is a very poignant line from the musical La Cage Aux Folles that goes:

"I am what I am, and what I am, needs no excuses... Your life is a sham, till you can shout out-loud, I am what I am!"

And that is something I've taken to heart. :)

(EDIT: Here's the link to the song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lupNzpcpDRk)

I Agree! Here's another video of John Barrowman singing this song in drag:
http://youtu.be/FdbEBvU_0Sw

Anyways, It's almost been a year since I joined Mernetwork, and I'm soo glad I did! In one way or another I've always loved merfolk, both mermaids and mermen. I grew up in Australia, living near the Pacific Ocean for most of my childhood, and would swim at the beach or in a swimming pool. Swimming had always been a integral part of my life and development. My love for aquatic beings however became more of a secret, as I grew older. I pretended that I didn't believe, and went with the norm of children who left fairy tales behind. But in my heart, merfolk still held a special and somewhat spiritual place, and somehow I knew they would come into my future. As the years went on, and I moved to the U.S. and got more involved with school, and graduated from high school, and later Community College, I became immersed in my studies, but something didn't feel right. I realized that I was so focused on my studies, I realized that I needed some spiritual fulfillment. Something was missing. So I started going to church, and while I found a great supportive community there, I needed something else that at the time I couldn't pinpoint what it was. I tried many other groups during the last six years, and learned a lot more about myself. But still I was unable to find that missing piece. I soon discovered Deviant Art, and I noticed a need to type in "mermaid" in to the search box... I typed it in and discovered more than I thought was possible. I saw pictures of Raina in her tail and I thought," wow this is real, I knew it" and "I can't believe this is happening!!" I looked up more tails, which were gorgeous, and soon came across this site. At first I was nervous to join, but I realized that I cannot live in denial and secret anymore about what I like and who I am... I don't regret it one bit. I am in a process of making a neoprene tail which I hope to have done by Mid May.

Patches
04-24-2013, 11:49 PM
My biggest fear was money. I lusted and lusted over a silicone tail for YEARS. I wanted to be a mermaid when I was little and when I was younger my mom used to let me tie my legs together and told me when I grew up I could be a mermaid. Never believed her. And now, 16 years later, I am mermaid.
I worked my ass off and saved up and bought a used mertailor tail for 1000 dollars off ebay.
I knew it was one of my only chances to get one that cheap so I went for it.
It's a bit small for me and there's some holes that need to be repaired so
I now have a new silicone tail in the works. Still thinking about designs and whatnot.
So excited though. I have big plans for the future which includes one day swimming with whale sharks hopefully.

Mermaid Pickles
04-25-2013, 12:37 AM
I only started mermaiding around this time of year last year, and was terrified that people would laugh at me. (this coming from someone who was always the first to do the strange things, go figure.) But after I found out that one of my friends from middle and high school had a mermagica tail, I took it to the pool every time I went. I got two of my other friends into it, and now I never go to the pool without my tail. My parents think it's strange, but don't really care, and my sisters don't care at all. My mom's sister thinks it's awesome (Annie lives in Orlando), and wants me to bring my tail next time I see her. My dad's parents told me NEVER to tell ANYONE I have a swimmable tail and NEVER to swim in it in public. Guess what I did? I ignored that. I'm going to be me, no matter what, and mermaiding is part of being myself. Even the people at my apartment complex leasing office like to watch, because I'll go from on end of the pool to the middle, take breath, and go to the other end. (this is a very large pool) I recently got a mermaidsrus tail, had it delivered to my work, and my BOSS (who I totally expected to think my tail was weird) thought it was cool. I've had a select few cheering me on from the beginning and a group looking down on me too. Though, what I think finally got me to actually swim in front of people was my friend who has a mermagica tail. I still owe her a swimming video. >,O
~Pickles

Echidna
04-28-2013, 03:22 PM
alright, I'll join in.
I have "played" mermaid since I first set a foot on a beach. It was an obsession since my early childhood; my entire playthings were self-made mermaid toys.
I had to take a long break from swimming during my education, which sadly was too far situated from any ocean, lake or pool
(plus "mermaiding" wasn't really known back then), and after finishing my studies, when I might have started again, I caught a nasty illness which shackled me to my bed for nearly ten years.
I have to take lots of medication, and it's rare for me to simply feel good or "normal" for one day.
I figured I'd probably die of it, and I made the decision I'd swim at least ONCE in the tail I had gotten.

So my family carried me off to a pool, and I swam, and actually felt better than months and years before.
(Ironically, my swimming and diving skills had not deteriorated much.)
I'll definitely stick to it if I can work out how to not get further infections into my eyes and ears while doing so.

I hope to get in such a shape I can travel again, and then swim in the ocean!

I see many of you have similar stories.
Keep it up, Mers!